Drones are incredibly popular and everyone is looking to buy one. Drones are excellent aircrafts for personal and professional entertainment and business and if you want to find out which models are the best for you-and why-keep on reading. We will also address question why some models are better avoided for majority of us.

Sales result over Christmas holidays last year (and predictions for the Christmas sale this year) show us that people’s interest in modeled airplanes is growing at an incredible speed.

With this said, one must take into account that this also means incredible rise of number of aircrafts in the air, along with private and commercial planes, passing over close to each other. In this sense, one needs to be very professional in controlling its drone and to be such, it is necessary to learn everything about national and international airspace law and rules as well as basic rules of how one flies safely.

For example, USA right prepared rules and regulations that require registering your drone with DOT- Department of Transportation and these rules were set into force in August 2016. There is very specific set of rules for drones that are used for entertainment and drones that are used for business, including drone requirements, location requirements, rules how to operate it (drone weight, height of flying, restrictions, etc.). The basic idea behind these rules is to make sure that drones are operated safely, so that everyone is protected and safe when they are in the air.

When you consider this, although it seems restrictive, it is very logical, because along with the fun comes responsibility.

Over the past few years, more than two million people developed interest in drones and chose to learn how to built them, how to fly with them as well as where to buy them. We want to contribute to safe drone flying and will share information from any official authority when it comes to rules and regulations that need to be followed to legally use drones in particular territory.

Now, moving onto things to have in mind before getting yourself a drone!

There Are Drones That Are Easy To Use, And There Are Those That Aren’t

First and most important thing to know is that flying objects/aircrafts aren’t easy to operate and control. Quadcopter wouldn’t be able to fly if there wasn’t a flight controlled (controlling computer) inside it. Operating easiness and controlling depends on flight controls organization. Some drones will have more agile controls thanks to particular flight controller setup, while others will be more stable.

Another thing that is important in this aspect is easiness of use, i.e. how much flying skills you need, and actually can learn over time that will enable you to use your drone easily. There is really element here that is connected with the price tag-the higher the price (up to a certain point, that is), the easier it will be to use the drone. Generally, experiences of users expressed in reviews have shown that it is the easiest to use drones that come with a price tag around 700 dollars. The reason why is it so is simple: more pricier drones come with additional sensors and features within flight controller that enables aforementioned easiness of use.

At the moment, if you are looking for the easiest to fly drones you should check out Inspire 1, the Phantom 3, 3DR SOLO and Q500 4K . You will definitely have to pay these significantly more than Syma X5C and the Hubsan X4 that will cost you much less but will sweat you much more when it comes to flying skills.

#2 Drones Are Not Always Assembled And Ready To Go Out Flying

When you become interested in drones, you will see several acronyms along with a model you are looking, such as RTF, BNF and ARF, which stand for readiness for flying.

RTF stands for Ready To Fly, which means that you will not need to setup or assemble it from parts. Only thing you might be required to do is to charge up a battery, attach propellers, or connect flight controller to drone.

BNF means Bind and Fly. This model will require getting a flight controller. So, you are getting quad-copter without controller so you have to use one you already might have, or buy controller separately. In this case, it is important to be aware that functioning on the same frequency doesn’t have to necessary mean that controller and drone will work together, because with modern digital communications, you will have to make sure that these two use same protocol of the manufacturer. Make sure to check out this info to have fully functional drone in the end.

ARF means Almost Ready to Fly. In this case you will get parts, most often without receiver or flight controller. You might even get a kit without elements such as motor or battery. There are number of options here, so whenever you see this acronym, make sure to read information very carefully in order to know what you are getting.

It Is Necessary To Cash Up In Advance

If you are getting a small home drone you will use inside your house or a backyard, then you can skip this section. However, if you are getting something much more advanced, something you will pay several hundred or thousand dollars then you will want to make sure that you are spending your money smartly.

First of all, it is important to have good flight controller because it will enable you to use your drone with ease and satisfaction. Flight controller is long-term investment and they don’t get outdated as fast as computers and smart phones, so this is something we recommend you cash in good.

One of reasons why it can last for years is that you can upgrade transmitter from it and keep on using it.

Charger is another element that is good investing in. Battery charger is necessary element for drone usage and if you get a good one, you will be able to use it for years. Good charge will quickly charge battery and do so reliably.

More expensive chargers can charge whole range of batteries, so when you get better drone, you will not have to change charger because it will be able to charge better and bigger battery, as well as battery made of different materials. There are also chargers that can charge several batteries at once.

It is good to take some time to investigate all the options you have, because market is really wide and offers so many different options. With more in-depth research, you will gain wider knowledge, know more and be able to differentiate among options, so to choose better for your particular needs. This will definitely save you money at the end of the line.

There Are Dozen E-Shops And Sellers to Buy From

If you are just getting started with drones and don’t know where to buy your first drone, no need to worry-there are numerous online shops that ship to majority of countries all over the world. Largest online stores are located in China and America, but most likely there is at least one store that is close your location.

One of the largest online shops is Hobby King. They offer several thousands different items for sale. Certain products are their own design, while others are retail products they are selling for other manufacturer. Some of products in their store are excellent, some are not good, so you will probably find numerous reviews for all of the products that might interest you. This is definitely a good method how to make the final decision about anything in their store-read through customer reviews and you will find all the info you need to decide for yourself.

Another store where you can find good selection of drones and drone parts is RCGroups.com, in section Classifieds. This section is like ads for radio control elements and features where you can get a great deal. However, it is important to be careful, because people post ads there independently which means you can easily get scammed or you will pay too much for something that isn’t worth that much. Majority of sellers there are ok and if you pay attention to whom you cooperate with, you should be just fine.

We will also mention some other sites that offer good selection of drones and drone parts. There are famous sites for which you have already heard yourself, and there are also sites that are new to drone selling, but nevertheless offer good selection for newbie’s (and people that are not new to drones).

DJI: Most popular store as well as known when it comes to the quality

HobbyKing: The Walmart of radio control

com: As usual, something for everyone

getfpv.com: elevated quality FPV frames, its components as well as more

com: High-quality aerial photography drones

com: Located in Hong Kong with wide selection of drones and elements for drones from different manufacturers: DJI, Tarot, Walkera, etc.

co.uk: Very much as HeliPal but located in the UK.

com: FPV elements can be found for better price

com: Phantom related products as well as repair services.

com: Primarily very affordable drone toys with a little bit of pricy stuff

It Is Important To Be Member OF Community

Just as with many other topics, people who own drones usually create forums and groups, either online or in real life where they share knowledge, experience, questions and answers. There are many different drone forums, some dealing with specific drone models, some for general topics. It is not necessary to be part of every forum and group, but it is good to connect with group of people you find close to yourself, either regionally, or with the themes they cover.

Forums are excellent place to acquire knowledge, to learn, to connect with other users and share experience. If you are unsure how to approach forum communication, just register on one or two and check topics, see how people ask questions, what answers they are getting… comment yourself and see how discussion develops. Very soon you will get a grasp of forum communications and discover if you actually like particular forum or not.

We are going to mention several forums that are good for beginners as well as for users with particular interests.

There is forum called the My First Drone Beginners Group. This is rather general forum with no subcategories, where everyone can ask questions that usually all get answered, so it is good for simply feeling relaxed and where you can learn basics.

com: everything about radio controls.

com: everything about FPV drones.

com: everything cover Phantom drones.

com: Subject that cover robotics.

com: everything about DJI

com: everything about multirotors

FliteTest.com: Mostly foam airplanes but there are also some drone topics

Conclusion

These are some basics when you make a decision to buy a drone for yourself. We believe that these topics and tips will help you make easier choice which drone to buy, how much money to invest in your first drone as well as where to find out answers to all other questions that possibly weren’t answered in this beginner’s guide to drone buying.

Drones have many applications, ranging from simple in-house entertainment to professional usage in industry, photography and other business sections. Drones are very popular and their popularity is on upward line from one year onto next. There is very wide and rich market for drones and drone parts so you shouldn’t have problem to locate the perfect drone for a present or for your individual needs. Selection should be easier with our tips even when you are complete beginner and don’t know anything about drones.